Monday, August 22, 2016

Rio 2016 Olympics: Closing Ceremony

It's the last day of the Rio Olympics. The Closing Ceremony starts a few hours after the last game. But there were still a few sports left where the medals were on the line.

But even though it's the last day of the Rio Olympics, there was still some controversy that took place today.

First up, the behind the scenes news.

The US Olympic Committee say they will take further action regarding the furor caused by American swimmers Ryan Lochte, Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz, & Jimmy Feigen who were involved in a gas station vandalism dispute; but then reported they were robbed at gunpoint, launching an official investigation that finally exposed the truth & wasted valuable time & resources, damaging the reputation of the Rio organizers, the city of Rio, & embarrassing the US Olympic teams.

The Olympic Council of Ireland reports that Sunday morning, Brazilian police have seized passports, phones, & laptops from members of its delegation in Rio de Janeiro as part of a ticket-scalping investigation. The OCI says the unspecified number of people have been asked to show up at the police station Tuesday for question. All unsold tickets were also seized. The head of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Patrick Hickey was arrested in connection with the investigation & he remains jailed in Rio.

The ruling body for wrestling, the United World Wrestling, have removed & indefinitely banned three officials who made a very controversial, questionable call in the match between Puerto Rico's Franklin Gomez & Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan quarterfinal match. The match was tied 5-5, Gomez had the criteria advantage. He made a move to grab Navruzov, resulting in both fighters scoring either 2 points for Gomez or for both. Gomez would still have the criteria advantage & win.

But in a stunning decision, the officials award 2 points to Navruzov & no points to Gomez! Gomez's corner challenges the scoring, but the challenge is denied. The replay clearly showed that Gomez should've won. The audience starts to boo the poor decision loudly, causing a huge ruckus & bringing attention to the injustice. I love the Rio crowds for being passionate & booing those cheaters & losers who don't deserve to win!

In response to the situation, United World Wrestling has removed & suspended indefinitely Tong-Kun Chung of South Korea, Temo Kazarashvili of Georgia, & Russia's Sergei Novakoskiy, who oversaw the match between Puerto Rico's Franklin Gomez & Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan. The suspended officials also face further investigation & possible sanctions.

The appearance of any officiating impropriety could do harm to a sport that was kicked out of the Olympics for corruption just three years ago & has worked very hard to be later reinstated into the Olympic program. The UWW president, Nenad Lalovic, defended the organization, saying that the majority of the matches were properly officiated. And the few that were inappropriately scored are being investigated & handled, asking for just a little more time to clear out the corruption from the sport.

In related news, two Mongolian coaches stripped off their clothes & tossed them into the ring to protest the result of the 65kg bronze match.

Uzbekistan's Ikhtiyor Navruzov--the same one involved in the controversial match being investigated by UWW--appeared to have lost to Mongolia's Mandakhnaran Ganzorig 7-6 on Sunday.

Uzbekistan challenges the scoring, with ten seconds left as the Mongolian runs around celebrating his apparent win, instead of engaging Navruzov. Navruzov wins the challenge & the match on criteria as the last wrestler to score.

Ganzorig, who had already started celebrating, fell to his knees in disappointment. His coaches protest, but are denied. So Byambarenchin Bayoraa took his shoes & shirt off & threw them to the mat in disgust in front of the officials. Tsenrenbataar Tsostbayar went further & stripped all the way down to his blue briefs. The Brazilian crowd in agreement with the Mongolians show their support by loudly chanting "Mongolia! Mongolia!"
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Mongolias coaches protest the judges decision after Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (red) of Mongolia is defeated by Ikhtiyor Navruzov (blue) of Uzbekistan in the Men's Freestyle 65kg Bronze match against on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 2 on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images South America)

I love the Brazilian crowd! And I hope the UWW steps in & stops the corruption or wrestling is out of the Olympics!

And on the final day of competition, The Court of Arbitration for Sport says Mongolia's Chagnaadorj Usukhbayar, 19, tested positive for testosterone & was disqualified from the games. He never completed the event in the 56kg division.

In the most sobering & most serious of news, Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia was nearing the finish line at the men’s marathon on Sunday morning when he crossed his wrists above his head. He won silver. He did the posture again, crossing his wrists over his head as the reporters & photographers asked him the meaning of his sign.
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Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia celebrates as he crosses the line to win silver during the Men's Marathon on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Sambodromo on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images South America)

It was then the 26 year old stated that his sign was a show of solidarity with the protestors in Ethiopia. He was protesting the killing of protestors by the Ethiopian government. His gesture was made in protest of the killing of the Oromo people by government forces.

When asked about the consequences of his actions on global tv, Lilesa said maybe “they kill me…if not they kill me, they put me in prison.”

When told that the IOC frowns on political messages & protests at the Olympics, Lilesa said, “They can’t do anything. It’s my feeling.”

I hope he is safe. I hope this brave athlete is not harmed.

And now to the last games of the Rio Olympics.

Men's marathon

Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, finally wins an Olympic gold medal in the marathon. He has a bronze from Athens 2004 in the 5000m & a silver in the Beijing 2008 5000m. He has won other marathons before, but this is his first Olympic marathon medal. Kenya has now won both the men's & women's marathon for the first time.

Feyisa Lilesa, Ethiopia, takes the silver & makes a brave stand against the government slaying of the Oromo people. His life is now in danger, but he made the extraordinary brave choice to use the moment to put the global spotlight on the plight of the oppressed. He has my admiration.

And Galen Rupp, 10000m London 2012 silver medalist, wins bronze in his second marathon of his career, claiming the first medal for the US since Meb Keflezighi won silver in Athens 2004.

Boxing

Women's middleweight gold medal bout

Claressa Shields, United States, defeated Nouchka Fontijn, Netherlands, 3-0 to take gold in the women's middleweight division. Shields is the first American female boxer to win two Olympic golds--the first American to win two golds in 112 years. She successfully defends her London 2012 title.

Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Gaibnazarov won the Olympic light-welterweight gold by beating Azerbaijan's Cuban-born Lorenzo Sotomayor Collazo on a 2-1 split decision on Sunday. Lorenzo Sotomayor Collazo moved to Azerbaijan in 2013 & was hoping for gold. He leaves with silver instead, which is still a great feat.

The gold was Uzbekistan's second of the afternoon & third of the boxing tournament.

It's a reversal of fortune in favor of Nino Schurter, Switzerland, who sprint past Jaroslav Kulhavý, Czech Republic, beating him to gold. Four years ago at London 2012, it was Kulhavý who sped past Schurter in the last lap to win the gold. This time, Schurter takes gold, & Kulhavý settles for silver. And Carlos Coloma Nicolas, Spain, takes bronze.

Men's Handball

In the exciting gold medal match, Denmark defeats two time defending champion France 28-26 to take gold for the first time in men's handball.

Over in the bronze medal, Germany beats Poland 31-25 to win the third spot on the podium.

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Group final

Russia continues its dominance in the rhythmic gymnastics team event. For the fifth consecutive Olympics, the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team has won gold. Spain takes silver & Bulgaria takes bronze.

Men's Volleyball

In the gold medal match, the men's team deliver Brazil a gold on the last day of the Rio Olympics, defeating Italy 3-0 (25-22, 28-26, 26-24). Italy takes silver.

Meanwhile, United States rallies back from two set losses to defeat defending London 2012 champions Russia 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-13) to take the bronze.

Frank Chamizo of Italy & Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan were the bronze medalists.

Men's freestyle 97 kilograms gold medal match

20 year old Kyle Snyder is the youngest American wrestler to win a gold medal in wrestling. Kyle Snyder, US, won gold on Sunday in the 97 kg freestyle wrestling division by beating Khetag Gazyumov of Azerbaijan. The 33-year-old Gazyumov was a bronze medalist at the Beijing 2008 & London 2012 Games. Gazyumov settles for silver.

It is the second time an American has won this division. Jake Varner, who Snyder beat at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April, won in London 2012.

In the last game played at the Rio Olympics, the United States beat Serbia 96-66 to win their third consecutive Olympics gold. The US has won 15 of the 19 basketball events played at the Olympics.

Spain beat Australia 89-88 in a close bronze medal game to deny Australia a spot on the podium again for the fourth Olympics in a row.

And so ends the last games of the Rio 2016 Olympics, & what a fantastic & wonderful & surprising Olympics it has been! Thank you, Rio, for a spectacular Olympics!

Let's take a look at the Closing Ceremony:

First up, the most glorious & most magnificent of all Olympic cauldrons!

Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Patrick Smith/Getty Images South America)

It is the standard by which all cauldrons will be judged.
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A photo shows the cauldron bearing the Olympic flame during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / Odd ANDERSEN (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: AFP)

Next up, Pita Nikolas Taufatofua of Tonga made such a momentous impression at the Opening Ceremony as a flag bearer that he was invited on stage with other athletes to join & perform in the Closing Ceremony festivities.
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Pita Taufatofua of Tonga on stage during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images South America)

Pita Nikolas Taufatofua of Tonga is the standard by which all Olympic flag bearers will be judged.

I have to admit that as fantastic & gorgeous the Rio 2016 cauldron is, the best Olympics cauldron lighting ever belongs to Barcelona 1992. That's when an archer fired a burning arrow into the cauldron to set the cauldron on fire.

But the Rio 2016 cauldron is the most spectacular & most stunning Olympics cauldron ever!

And the way they extinguished the flame at the Closing Ceremony makes it the most awesome way to extinguish an Olympic cauldron. They made it rain on the cauldron while Mariene de Castro sang a beautiful, haunting song about things coming to an end. It was a lovely & longing version of Pelo tempo que durar. The song ended & the flames died in the rain. It was quite mesmerizing & amazing.
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Singer Mariene de Castro performs in front of the Olympic Cauldron before being extinguished during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images South America)

From now on, every time I turn off the lights, I want Mariene de Castro to sing her song--kitchen lights, porch light, bathroom light, etc. But please, no rain while she sings. There's a drought in these parts. No use wasting good water. And I'd hate to mop up after all that water.

But what a fantastic Closing Ceremony! The amazing dancers:
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Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / Fabrice COFFRINI (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: AFP)

(This image was taken with a fisheye lens.) Fireworks explode during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images South America)

Fireworks explode at the end of the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / VANDERLEI ALMEIDA (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: AFP)

The colors:
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Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / Ed JONES (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: AFP)

Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / Ed JONES (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: AFP)

This picture shows an overview of fireworks during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / Antonin THUILLIER (Aug. 21, 2016 - Source: AFP)

The amazing festivities:
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Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 21, 2016. / AFP / Ed JONES (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: AFP)

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Samba dancers perform in the "Cidade Maravilhosa" segment during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images South America)

Rio knows how to party & they threw a spectacular closing ceremony! It was a marvelous & amazing Olympics! Thank you, volunteers & organizers! Thank you athletes & supporters! Thank you, Rio & Brazil for giving us an amazing & astonishing Olympics! Thank you for welcoming us & for hosting these games & the world. You did an outstanding job, & we are grateful & thankful.

Obrigado, Rio! You were amazing!
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Fireworks explode at Maracana Stadium during closing ceremonies at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Aug. 20, 2016 - Source: Mario Tama/Getty Images South America)

LX, It was a fantastic summer Olympics in Rio! And I love how they relied on dancers & colorful costumes & kept true to their culture. It wasn't as high tech as the other more ridiculously expensive olympics. But it felt more genuine & definitely more vibrant than all the other olympics! These people love color & nature, & so do I!

And it was a nice distraction from the chaos & disgusting world of politics. I just can't believe how offensive & ridiculous it's gotten!

Thank you for the compliment! I love writing about the Olympics because in a way, it's the story of us, our struggles, our beliefs, & how we need to be inspired, to be reminded just how awesome & powerful we can be if we work hard & cooperate. We can do so many amazing things when we come together.

One my favorite things about the Olympics is the parade of nations, where we get to see what other people look like, & if we're lucky, glimpse a bit of their culture. And while some of the more famous athletes get the most attention, I'm more focused on the unknown ones who pull of incredibly feats, the ones who overcame adversity & hardship just to even make it to the Olympics. They may not make the podium, but to me, they are heroes for going the distance, to make this far against all odds. Those people, whose have the hearts of champions, who act with noble intentions, who carry themselves with the best characteristics of humankind are the heart & soul of the Olympics. They remind us of what is possible, what we can do with hard work, determination, & cooperation. We can be magnificent. We can be spectacular & astonishing & absolutely greater than we can ever imagine.

As usual Mr Swings you have outdone yourself in your thorough reprting on the olympics. Better than the local tv coverage here... Sadly they only report on the Aussie "winners"... I've not seen any reporting on the syncronized swimming despite us having a team and duet in the comp. I guess if it's not "Real" Swimming, we're not interested. Of course there was blanket coverage of Basketball hockey rugby and golf, all of which we can watch all year round...I guess there is Sports and sports...

I totally share your frustration with media coverage. The US tends to focus on sports that feature mostly American athletes & where we are most like to win a medal. Since the last Olympics, I've learned to use the internet. As soon as the Olympics releases the competition schedules, I highlight the sports that I want to see live, find out what time they happen, then I use the internet to see those games the media isn't covering. Usually, I use the free wifi at work during breaks & lunch. Sometimes, I take a break from studying to watch the events in the library. If I'm at home, I can figure out which games the tv is covering & which ones I need to see using the internet. So far, it's the best way to see what I want to see. The Olympics is launching their own channel to bring attention to the sports no one else covers outside the Olympics. I'm going to check it out to see if it's worth it. But it sounds promising.

It has been my pleasure to share the thrills & excitement of the Olympics. I love watching people succeed. Even better, I love watching athletes act their best & do amazing feats that inspire us to be better people. There will always be some challenges with the logistics & cheaters, but that's human nature. But there will also be amazing, spectacular human beings who exhibit all the best qualities of humanity, that make us feel proud & inspire us to come together & work hard to make our world a better, more wonderful place for us

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